The Yaröli of the northern continent are quite a contentious people. For millennia they have fought, bled and died in wars both pointless and poignant. This has hardened their culture and made it quite stratocratic, militaristic and generally very rigid and uncompromising. Though no matter how stoic the warrior, no matter how bitter the quartermaster, or how disagreeable the general, the Yaröli always longed for a day where they could enjoy true peace.
*CLANG*
Today however, was not that day. Today was one where battle was much more appreciated.
*THUNK*
Cedrik’s sword struck and embedded itself into the wooden target. “Shit!” He huffed to himself as he violently pulled it from his training dummy. “You’re better than that Cedrik, come on!” He chastised himself. Not wanting to make a fool out of himself in front of his uncle’s old friend who arrived some time ago.
He was an important holy man from the capital, a Bearer of Kaul’s holy flame, and a High Bearer at that which would invoke the image of a fragile old man but he looked incredibly imposing with all of his tattoos. The man was bald but with all that ink he looked like he had a full head of hair with an oddly jagged widow's peak.
Holy man or not, he was still a Yaröli and enjoyed a good thrash session just like everyone else. He sat with Walden and Marizhel in raised bench seating, surrounded with a crowd of people who came to the training yard to spectate Cedrik’s active battle drills. Normally Cedrik had no issues with people watching but now his uncle, cousin and mutual family friend who was also a notable religious big shot were in attendance. To say he didn't want to disappoint would be an understatement.
His dread was interrupted as two more targets flung up near him and were almost immediately pierced in their heads with arrows. Then there's her. He thought as Ryka laughed heartily as the arrows' wind magic expanded within the target's heads, bursting them into splinters and straw as they fell over, getting cheers from those in attendance. Though she had since recovered from Zaerthold's birth just over a month ago, Cedrik was still unsure of her fighting moving targets but she seems to be able to handle herself.
'At least she was having a good time.' Cedrik thought to himself. Thankfully this was not his final test but just some skirmishes with dummies to better prepare himself. With that said, he was doing better than he used to but certainly not as good as he wanted. In recent days the local Boglogger population has become more rowdy and its been itching at Cedrik's mind. Why were they doing this? There had been four intercepted attack groups of Bogloggers, each having just over a dozen warriors holding terrible weapons. They hadn't even inflicted any casualties in the guards, just bruises and the occasional deep wound, while their parties were wiped out every time without even trying to escape. Cedrik was under the impression the local clan was under the control of a near-ascendant which should have kept them at bay. Something must be wrong... he would need to consult uncle Walden on this.
"Cedrik, to your left!" Ryka shouted as a wooden dummy propelled itself forward, knocking Cedrik from his thoughts, he slashed the dummy, cleaving it into two diagonal pieces. There was a blue shimmer in the air and another appeared, winked into existence. Its middle body segments began to spin, long dowels extending out to injure the aspiring Protector. Cedrik raised his shield, stopping the impact and stifling the dummy, he slashed at it but its wooden exterior hardened and the blade bounced off of it.
"Double shot!" Ryka yelled and loosed two arrows at once from her bow. They flew by and bounced off the wood, their wind magic not even triggering. "Shit!" Ryka raged as she shot again with much the same outcome, it seemed this was an enchanted target. Its torso spun again, Cedrik again raised his shield and withstood two strikes, he performed a shield bash and pushed the dummy's dowels away from range and thrust his sword straight to the chest, it bounced off and the backward momentum threw the blade from Cedrik’s hand. "Fucking piece of shit!" He shouted at the indignity of it all. Enraged, Cedrik removed his shield and raised it above his head and brought it down. He felt power course through his veins and a blue glow began to shimmer across the shield, magically empowering it. "Heavy Force!" Cedrik shouted and brought the shield down on the head of the target. It crumbled unnaturally like metal in a press before the force transferred to the rest of the body, causing it to explode violently, throwing splinters in every direction. This drew cheers from the crowd and raucous laughter and claps from Walden.
Their joy was cut short as a small blue gem floated from a small hole in the ground and blasted Cedrik back with a pure wave of gravity. He was flung back and slammed on the ground, throwing his shield, he was completely disarmed. He was moments away from recalling his weapon, but Ryka stepped in.
"Triple strike!" One string pluck produced three arrows made of wind magic and sent them flying toward the gem where they simultaneously struck the blue gem, knocking it to the ground with a glassy thud. Cedrik took this chance to push himself from the ground and rush to his shield while holding out his hand.
"Recall!" Only moments after speaking, Cedriks sword bounced off the ground and flung itself into his hand, slotting comfortably in his grip. With his arms back, he charged the blue gem. Being a gem imbued with gravitational magic, it is likely it will try its force wave again if he was too slow. He reached the gem and brought his sword down only for a wave to erupt from the gem, sending him back, he caught his footing and managed to not fall over but the gem was now floating again. Instead of aiming at Cedrik, it reoriented towards Ryka blasting a concussive wave towards her. Ryka tried to erect some kind of wind shield but the force was too strong and managed to blast through her magic and kock her down, even at her distance across the training yard.
Turning toward Cedrik, the gem began to vibrate. Cedrik channeled power into his sword, making a faint yellow glow emanate from the cutting edge. "Wave Slash!" He sword threw a golden wave of sharp energy at the gem, it adjusted its height to avoid the strike and missed most, the strike only knocking the top most tip, shearing it off but not breaking it. Cedrik swore under his breath as a overwhelming concussive wave racked his body and shot him back into a wooden post that denoted the training area, his armor creasing at the pressures. The gem lazily floated toward him and made ready for another strike.
"Piercing shot!" An arrow lodged itself into the back of the gem, causing it to lose most of its luster and clatter to the ground. Cedrik could see it beginning its self mend and clambered to his feet and grabbed a nearby rock and struck the gem at the point where his wave slash had struck it, shattering it instantly. He fell back, expecting another gem, but none appeared. He then realized that his head was pounding and after some moments he could hear the roar of the crowd over the pounding in his ears, he looked to see everyone was cheering. Walden, Carises, even Mari were cheering at that performance. "You okay Cedrik?" Ryka suddenly appeared in his vision with a hand outstretched. He took it and stood, not thinking of anything he merely grunted his approval and took in the cheers and the end of the training, he hurt all over but the adoration and a nice rest would help ease the pain.
"Protector Cedrik!" A guardsman called out to him as he ran toward the field. "Bogloggers are coming from upstream again. About fifteen of them." Fuck... guess the rest will have to wait.
***
A month was all it took. A month was all the traitors needed to destroy all the progress that Ogog had put into his clan. A decade of fighting, killing, bleeding, suffering, learning; all of it to be wasted and reversed in a month. Helplessness never helped anyone but Murg could see no upside to how his clan had been robbed of its progress in the last month by their new leaders and their practice of the most mindlessly stupid ideals and adherence to the old ways. Ogog had taught them more civil ways, he had them build proper dwellings, inlay roads, he was even making plans to harness the power of the river. But now he was dead and there was nothing Murg could do to bring him back.
Murg's thoughts were silenced as his body slammed into the dirt, his face was bloody, his body broken and his green face was many shades greener by bruising as he was pummeled by the much larger greenskin that called him a traitor. He called Murg traitor! The gall of them to call Murg a traitor when they bow to the shadow master who commands them to condemn so many to be slaughtered by the human clan downriver. His beating and the death of his comrades comes from them being condemned as criminals for the crime of loyalty to Ogog. His assailant is Nuuf, the attack dog of the shadow master, a coward who says the Bogloggers have no chief anymore and serve the shadow master. What a coward, to kneel to the shadows as if they hold any significance to anything pertaining to the old ways, his cowardice would warrant death under the old ways.
Murg always hates Nuuf, he was a bruiser who was too stupid to even make his own spear but though himself smarter than all others due to his size and strength. He was using this beating in front of the whole clan to increase his standing, but striking fear into his people just to amuse the dark master only hardened Murg's resolve. He spat on the ground and looked up to Nuuf. "You is coward Nuuf! You never be real chief with weak punches like—" He was silenced immediately with a kick to his face, sending his teeth flying and sending him sprawling. He spat more blood which just landed on his face is a grotesque display.
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Nuuf walked forward to the crumpled boglogger while his clan-kin all around the fight shrunk back in fear of him. He felt amazing, the sheer power the shadow master had given him was like a new lease on life. After Ogog and his family were eradicated the shadow master gave him control over his people and promised even greater power after the human pinkie clan was slaughtered. Nuuf couldn't help but revel in the blood of one who took his position from him, Ogog, and the blood and death of his followers. Murg was probably not the last loyalist to Ogog, but he was the most vocal and his death was to be a treat for the shadow master, thus his pummeling. Nuuf grabbed Murg by his neck and hoisted him to up high and spat into his eyes. "You weak! ME NOT WEAK!" Nuuf proclaimed magnanimously "ME IS STRONG! You and Ogog is... uh..." Nuuf never was the smartest Boglogger but he had to come up with another insult, his credibility was on the line here. "You is weak! No no, me said that... uh." after a few arduous moments of 'thought' in his stone of a brain, Nuuf decided that he had gotten himself in too deep and figured another kick would suffice, sending Murg into the mud with a wet plop. Nuuf laughed and took out a small orange root from his pocket and began to lean over to the downed Murg, but was interrupted by a vicious entity.
"Cease!" Came a booming voice, it's form just a shadow dancing in the foliage just out of proper view. "The death of this one will not be granted so easily. I shall prolong his suffering for his impudence and disloyalty to The Dark One. Do you seek to prevent me from punishing the folly of such a creature?!" It shouted at the stupid Boglogger, who just stammered out small excuses for words.
"Uh! No master! Me is uh... Me try.. uh.. trying-ing to uh."
They did not matter and the shadow continued. "Silence! The humans have already destroyed the disloyal fodder! You will make ready for our next plans at once, The Dark One shall not be kept waiting. Unless you do not want the power I and my Master offer you?" This lit a fire under Nuuf's ass.
He did a mock salute of some kind."No master! We serve!" He turned to the other Bogloggers and scowled at them, gesturing to his hand and they mimicked the gesture, obviously confused.
A gutteral laugh bellowed from the shadow. "Excellent. See that my will is done and you will all be rewarded handsomely as dictated by the old ways." Nuuf nodded emphatically and just before he was going to run off to prepare, the shadow stopped him. "FOOL! Watch as I exact punishment to this festering cowardly creature." As that was said, all present turned to Murg, his bloodstained clothes and face looking terrible in the mud he was resting in, not being able to move from the beating he had endured. "Have you any last words, cretin?"
Murg turned to Nuuf and spat, his blood filled spit merely lazily falling to the ground. He attempted to lift himself up but failed in his attempt and contented himself to prop his body against a tree. He breathed and a stinging pain flared up likely due to something broken in his chest, but what that could be Murg wasn't sure, all he knew is that it hurt like hell but he needed to get his last words to the traitor. He looked to Nuuf and scowled. "You know why they called the old ways? They called old since Ogog become chief! They old because they die with old chiefs! They die with old and bad ways. You doom us Nuuf! You no be chief, but you will live by old ways... You ruin all Ogog work for..." with this he is cut off by a pebble being thrown at him by Nuuf.
"Ah... Far more eloquent than I could have imagined for such a disgusting thing like you, but I will admit I am impressed by your tenacity. I will take pity on you." A foul and booming laugh came from within the foliage and a large black shadowy orb floated from it. It seemed to adsorb all light it touched and made all around it sickened by the mere sight of it. This was the Shadow Master, an actual shadow, Murg couldn't believe it and he tried to scurry away but his legs failed him as it turned out that they were also broken along with whatever in his chest was. The shadow spoke again. "Since you believe your people so worthy of ascension like your precious Chief Ogog did, perhaps you may strive for it upon the mortal plane." This drew confused looks from Nuuf and Murg, this confusion was dispelled as the pebble that had assulted Murg floated in front of him by the magic of the shadow. It began to laugh, its laughter bellowed in the wind and the mind like a cacophony of explosions in a valley and the pebble began to glow a bright blue. "STRIVE FOR THEIR ASCENSION FOR ALL ETERNITY ON THIS PLANE, INFERIOR CREATURE! BAHAHAHA!" The pebble became completely blue and Murg's body began to dissipate as fragments of it broke away and turned to dust before being absorbed into the pebble. Murg screamed as the pain caught up to him, it was excruciating beyond any pain he had ever felt. He fought against it but that only made it worse and increased the cackles from the shadow beast as it ripped his body to shreds.
After some time, Murg was absorbed into the pebble and it fell to the ground with a plop. Murg was gone and his screams along with him, the pebble kept its blue shine to it however. This drew the attention of Nuuf and he strode over to it and was about to pick it up. "DO NOT TOUCH THE ROCK!" This jolted Nuuf from his action and he bowed in apology. The shadow commanded again. "The plans are complete, begin preparations for the assult. The Dark One cannot be kept waiting! We will do his will... wont we?"
"Yes master! We is!" Nuuf complied immediately, drawing looks of pure hate and disdain from his fellows save for the usual sycophants most strongmen had. It was no matter, their approval was not important for the next phase. Only their cooperation, involuntary as it may be, but the shadow cared not, the Dark One loved plans like this and he will reward his faithful servants handsomely for their deeds in this life with boons in the next. "Master, when we go to Pinkers?" The oaf interrupted the shadows' musings.
"At once. Prepare the roots. We go as soon as we can. The Dark Lord cannot be kept waiting." All was to fall into place, and it only took a village to see it through.
***
This was a common occurrence as of late and Cedrik was getting sick of it. A bunch of Bogloggers just run in, screaming their heads off and dying. It made no sense and luckily the man who could aid the most was just in range. His uncle Walden was speaking to the captain of the village guard to consolidate all information and to search the bodies. It didn't seem that there were new injuries thankfully, this was the least well armed but most ferocious group of Bogloggers this month and Cedrik was thankful no one died like he had feared. He strode forward to the chatting men and cleared his throat getting the attention of both. "Uncle, Captain. What are the damages? I got four of them but did anyone else get hurt?"
This seemed to have amused Walden as he laughed while kicking the head of one of the felled enemies. "Fifteen man sized greenskins had come and died in just under three minutes. I say we are doing fine."
This jolted the Captain of the guard, Marcus was his name, he pounded his chest and reported in a sort of stilted and overly official fashion. "Protector Cedrik! We have confirmed that it was indeed fifteen by Lord Walden's examination. They also seemed to not be carrying anything more than sticks, two spears in total and rucksacks full of..." He stopped and gained a more confused look as he held up the aforementioned sack. "Roots...? Of some kind?" Cedrik took the bag and inspected the roots. They looked to be some kind of tuber, like a potato but were orange, bright orange like a carrot and held a distict smell of flowers which was odd, not a hint of earth on them. He rubbed his chin in thought.
Cedrik turned to Walden, handing him one of the offending plants. "Seen anything like this before Uncle?" Walden took it, gave it a once over and shook his head.
"Nope, I'm not a botanist but I've traveled all over Yaröl and I've seen plenty of magic bullshit and I know for a fact that this is some magical bullshit." He pointed to a pile of the greenskins. "I've seen pissed off boglogs, but never this angry, I wager it has something to do with the orange roots" He shook the tuber. "If they have these in their packs, I'd say they thought these were good to feed their boys to try and kill us easier."
Marcus cut in. "Lord Walden, surely that couldn't be. We have a good relationship with the clan leader up the river. I hear he is a near-ascendant, why would he send his men here to die with strange plants?" This earned a grim chuckle from Walden.
"Trust me son, man or monster can be corrupted by greed and a bad idea. My guess: This chief of theirs found a patch of magic plants, became addicted and send his boys to kill us to steal our shit. I say we head there and wipe the lot of them from the valley this instant." Walden declared with complete seriousness.
Cedrik held out his hands in protest and Walden's proclamation. "Or something has happened that is outside of our base of knowledge. I understand your eagerness to repay battle with battle, uncle but we must approach this diplomatically. We have had no reason to suspect that the chief plotted this but I do agree that this farce must end today. I say we head the Ogog clan and see what the situation is, if they are hostile then we deal with it then." This received a grunt of approval from both men. Cedrik turned to Marcus. "Captain I will be leaving to attempt a dialogue with the Bogloggers, martial the men, I want every guard we have to clean this mess and prepare for another attack should I fail in this, I don't see a combined force of theirs being too difficult but the village must be prepared anyhow."
He pounded his chest. "Yes, Protector Cedrik! At once!" Cedrik couldn't get used to that but no matter, his embarrassment can wait.
He turned to Walden. "Uncle, can you and Mari head with me up the river? If they attack, I'd rather not have the village actually have to deal with it." This got a chuckle from Walden.
"Oh Cedrik, you are too soft on these people, an excellent quality to have as a protector. And yes, me and Marizhel will be delighted to come with. How far away if this 'Ogog clan' anyhow?"
"Only about an hours walk."
"Then I shall fetch my son, get your best armor young man and prepare for a battle, we will set out on your mark." With that, Walden departed to the crowd forming around the bank of the river near the fresh corpses, leaving Cedrik to his thoughts. He was worried, but he needn't be he had his uncle and cousin to venture off with him. He was confident, but the revelation of the odd orange potatoes gave him unease the likes of which he hasn't felt in quite a long time. He just needed to clear up that these Bogloggers in the river were just rowdy drug addicts or something... That was the hope anyway. Cedrik made for the guard building to get his armor and gave a prayer to Kaul, for as much as he didn't want the worst he had to agree with his uncle, he might need it.